THE FAIRY QUEEN'S MIRROR
          - a fable

ONCE upon upon a time, in a small kingdom on the Edge of the World,
there lived a valiant knight named Cosmo.  Cosmo had served the 
king as justicar for several years and was known throughout the
kingdom for his loyalty and his swift and terrible justice.

King Autox held court at Castle Edge Cutter, named so because its
foundations jutted out over the very Edge itself.  As the King's
Sword, Cosmo sat on Autox's right hand and held a very high place
in court, indeed.  Lords and Ladies from throughout the kingdom
came to the Castle in great numbers and frequency, for it was the
only place in the land to exchange gossip and information.  For
this reason, Cosmo very rarely had to use his blade - a brief
banishment from the castle grounds was enough to rehabilitate 
most ne'er-do-wells.

Cosmo spent many days at Castle Edge Cutter, but we will turn 
our attentions to one particular day when he was strolling through
the castle gardens and noticed a butterfly trapped in a spider's
web.  Although Cosmo was a feared and vengeful judge, he was also
good at heart, and when he saw the struggling butterfly and the
approaching spider he acted almost without thought.  With a light
touch of his hand he lifted the butterfly up, severing the threads
binding it.  

As soon as the butterfly left Cosmo's hand, there came a blinding
flash of light.  Cosmo closed his eyes and shook his head, and when
he opened his eyes again a tiny but beautiful fairy floated on 
gossmer wings before his face, a dewdrop coronet upon her head.

"Good Knight Cosmo, I am the Fairy Queen, and I owe you my life.  I
could not transform while bound, and you have freed me and save me
from a terrible fate.  If you would allow, I would repay your 
kindness with a gift.".  The sprite flitted around Cosmo's head as 
she spoke, showering him in fairy dust.  

Cosmo told the Queen "In truth, I did not act with thought of reward,
but if you feel a debt I will accept your gift".  As the knight spoke,
the fairy dust around him coalesced into a vague round shape that 
floated down to his right hand.  Cosmo opened his hand and the dust
settled into his palm, solidifying into a small, simple mirror,
bordered in green wood.  A strange script ran around the perimeter
of the mirror, and when Cosmo gazed into it he saw no reflection.

"This mirror is not of glass, but formed from an eternally frozen 
handful of water.", said the Fairy Queen, "The wood was taken from
a tree growing above the Underhill, and the water from my own Pool
of Life.  As such, it is endowed with all my knowledge and magics."

"But what does it do?", asked Cosmo, "It casts no reflection."

"No", said the Queen, "it will only work when you ask it to.  You may
only use it in the Waking World thrice, but as it is made from the 
stuff of Life it can look into the lives, minds, and hearts of any
you know.  If you have questions that do not concern these, you may
call my visage upon it as well.  Now, the noon hour approacheth and
I must return to my own court.  Fare thee well, Knight."

Cosmo placed the mirror in his vest, and later hid it deep within
his wardrobe, under an old quilt made by his mother.  He vowed 
never to use it, for its power was not meant for mortal man.

Scant months later, Cosmo had need of the mirror.  He had many other
things going on in his life, and his work as justicar was suffering
for this.  A number of Lords and their kin had recently discovered
the printing methods for the coin of the realm, and had forged many
coins valueless for their metal.  The King had luckily learned of 
this and put a stop to it, but by the time he destroyed the means
of making the coins they had passed through many hands.  The King
decided to gather and destroy all this coinage, and to banish all
who owned or had owned them from the court for a time.

One of those involved was the usually trustworthy Lord Knight Stalker,
a well-known if infrequent player of the games of court.  Knight
Stalker was enraged at his exile, for he had merely taken payment
for the use of one of his minor keeps, and had neither minted nor
circulated the counterfeit coin.  Cosmo had made disparaging comments
in court about the counterfeiters, and Knight Stalker had taken
exception, claiming innocence and persecution.

Cosmo knew he needed to take a stance, but knew not the truth of the
matter and had no time to find it out.  He fell asleep that night
with troubled brow.  In the middle of the night, Cosmo awoke and
remembered the mirror.  He dashed to the wardrobe and dug it from 
its hiding place.  "Mirror", he said "is Knight Stalker truly
innocent?"

The Mirror clouded, then cleared to show Knight Stalker's face.
"Come now, dear Cosmo", said a deep voice, "look at this man.  He
has profited from these false coins, and should be punished for
his carelessness if for nothing else.  Besides, think on his name.
Knight Stalker, the Stalker of Knights?  Even the words of his
own name accuse him of foul deeds.  His protestations must be the
act of a guilty and defensive conscience.  Worry no more, Cosmo."

Cosmo was greatly relieved, although saddened, by this news.  When
he awoke in the morning he had no qualms about denouncing the
Stalker before the court, asking him why he was not more careful
about the source of his funds and wondering publically if perhaps
his conscience was telling upon him.  Many of Lord Stalker's friends
came to his defense, but Knight Stalker's reputation still suffered
and many of his friends wondered if he really WAS part of the 
conspiracy.  

Knight Stalker's friends in court repayed his loss, but the damage
was still done.  This matter also caused another difficulty for
Cosmo as the Blue Knight, called the Blue Devil for his horned helms,
sent himself into exile with Lord Stalker, saying unkind things about
Cosmo's actions and all but giving him the lie in this matter.  Blue
Devil said Cosmo was hurting innocent people, and the kingdom as
well.

These words bothered Cosmo, for Lord Devil had stood up for him on
many occaisions, even though he had also taken sides against him in
the past as well.  Cosmo began to wonder if it was only the fight
the Blue Knight loved, and not his friends.  Cosmo wondered if perhaps
Blue Devil sought causes merely to have a crusade, not because his
heart demanded he do so.  

Again, Cosmo fell asleep with a worried mein, and again awoke, 
remembering the mirror.  Again, he rushed to the wardrobe and eagerly
uncovered the Fairy Queen's gift.  "Mirror," he asked, "is Blue Devil
sticking up for a friend or merely scrapping for a fight?  Does he
care for the kingdom or is it all show?"

The mirror clouded as though a dark storm raged within it, then cleared
to show Lord Devil's face.  "Ah, Cosmo", said the same, sepulchral 
voice, "again you come to me when you have no reason.  Of course you
are right.  Blue Devil cares not for you, or the kingdom, or his
so-called friends.  Has he not been most untrustworthy in his support
of you?  One day he stands by your side, declaring you the most
trustworthy and hard-working of the King's men.  The next, he 
denounces you as unfair and callous.  He claims this is because he
owes allegiance to principles, but really he is just interested in
playing the sides of a fight against one another.  He is no friend of
yours, nor of the kingdom. Be done with this backstabber, Cosmo.  
You need know no more."

When Cosmo awoke in the morning, again his head was clear and a
weight lifted from his shoulders.  He went to court that day and,
in Blue Devil's absence, delivered a rousing speech questioning 
Lord Devil's ethics and repeating the words of his dream.  A few
members of the court wondered why Cosmo was so vehement in this
matter, but did not see any point in refuting his well-chosen 
words.  Besides, they had no desire to feel the burning gaze
of the Knight Justicar's anger.

After that day, Cosmo felt no further need of the mirror.  Whatever
commonality he and Knight Stalker shared was eroded, but after all
what business did he want with a thief?  The friendship and respect
he thought he had in common with Blue Devil evaporated like the
morning dew, but now that he knew the true value of that friendship
he did not miss it one bit.  Cosmo briefly wondered if he had done
the right thing, but comforted himself knowing he had looked into
the hearts and souls of both men, and knew what their true desires
and motives were, even better than the men themselves did.

Cosmo never used the mirror again.  His two experiences with it only
confirmed that he could trust his own judgement, and the mirror
itself had said he had come to it without reason.  It was not until
years later, as the good Knight lay on his deathbed, that he asked
his aged squire to go to the wardrobe, uncover the mirror and bring
it to him one last time.

The squire held the mirror reverently, marvelling at the elvish
inscription.  "Please, good squire, bring the mirror hence", said
Cosmo, "it will not work for you, and I merely wish to speak with
the one who gave it to me so I may thank her for easing my 
conscience all these years."

The squire obliged, and Cosmo gazed for a final time into the
blank face of the mirror.  It had not changed in all the long years.
"Mirror," said Cosmo, "show me the Fairy Queen, that I may thank
her for her gift."

The mirror, without any clouding or pause, immediately brought the
Fairy Queen's visage into view.  Like the mirror, she had not changed
in the decades since their first meeting.  The dewdrop coronet 
sparkled from some hidden light as she smiled at the Knight.

"Ah, Cosmo.  Time has nearly finished her dance with you, I see.", sang
the Fairy Queen, "What can I do for you, so near the end of your
brief mortal life."

"Nothing, dear Queen, nothing", said Cosmo, "I merely wanted to thank
you for your gift, which has served me well twice and removed doubts
that sorely plagued me.  Without it my life would have been much
different."

"But Cosmo," replied the Queen, "this is the first time you have used
the mirror.  Every time you hold it, or gaze into it, I know, and if
you had actually used its power I surely would have felt it.  Please,
tell me of these two uses of its power, while I pray my darkest fears
are not realized."

Cosmo quickly, and with fading strength, told the Queen of the Lords
Knight Stalker and Blue Devil, and how the mirror came to his aid.

"Oh, poor Knight, I have wronged thee", spoke the Queen, "You spoke
with the mirror only in your dreams and not in the light of the 
Waking World.  Just as your dreams are the mirror of your soul, so
did the mirror reflect your own doubts and darker imaginings.  You
did not use the power of the mirror, you spoke only to yourself, 
and told yourself only that which you wanted to hear."

"Nay!  You lie, Sorceress!", cried Cosmo, "Be done with you!".  
Cosmo flung the mirror with all his remaining strength against the 
stone wall of his bedchamber, where it shattered like the finest
crystal.  The wood frame instantly burst into green flame, leaving
a small pile of ashes behind.  The shards from the mirror were
as numerous and fine as dust, and blew out the chamber window.

Cosmo felt his last breath leaving his lips, and prepared himself
for the final sleep.  The Queen must have lied, he thought to himself
as his sight dimmed, she must have lied...

...meanwhile, in a garden not too far away, the King's newly-appointed
justicar spied a butterfly struggling in a spider's web, and lifted
his hand to help the poor creature...